Summary

  • Second T20, Christchurch - NZ win toss and bowl

  • England win by 65 runs to take 1-0 lead in three-match series

  • NZ 171 (18 overs): Seifert 39 (29); Rashid 4-32

  • England 236-4 (20 overs): Salt 85 (56), Brook 78 (35); Jamieson 2-47

  • Tourists post their fifth highest T20 international total

  • Third and final T20 in Auckland on Thursday

Live Reporting

by Timothy Abraham & Matthew Henry

  1. NZ 48-2

    Harry Brook paying the price for bowling Luke Wood three overs on the spin, as Tim Seifert wallops his fifth delivery across the line for four.

    An expensive over with 15 runs from it.

  2. NZ 44-2

    A welcome boundary for Mark Chapman and New Zealand as he drills the first ball of Luke Wood's third over straight as a die for four.

    Two balls later and Tim Seifert with a hefty swing of the willow to a cross-seamer to the left-arm quick and heaves it into the legside for another boundary along the ground.

  3. Jem Green
    CricViz data analyst

    In the last year New Zealand have had the lowest dot ball percentage (29.5%) of all batting sides in T20Is. Today, when they need the scoreboard to be ticking over more than ever, they have failed to score off 13 balls in the first four overs.

  4. NZ 33-2

    Brydon Carse, head freshly shaven, has looked purposeful here.

    Neither Mark Chapman nor Tim Seifert are able to really get the England seamer away. Two singles apiece.

    England captain Harry Brook is grinning as he chirps some encouragement to his colleagues.

  5. NZ 28-2

    Adil Rashid has a shy at the non-striker's end after Tim Seifert sets off for a single having worked Luke Wood round the corner, but the Kiwi batter has comfortably made his ground.

    Wood has 0-14 off two overs and seven dots. Solid stuff.

  6. Kevin Howells
    BBC Test Match Special commentator

    England look to be shaping themselves into a good T20 team.

  7. NZ 27-2

    Luke Wood strays on to the hip of Tim Seifert with his first ball, who pulls it fine for four.

    The England left-arm quick responds with a couple of dot balls.

    Brisk stuff from Wood.

  8. NZ 23-2

    Mark Chapman opens the face to guide Brydon Carse for four through the vacant third region.

    Carse is then punished with a front-foot no-ball but Chapman cannot punish one down the leg side, which brushes his pad on the way through.

    An eventful second over comes to an end.

  9. wicket

    WICKET

    Ravindra c Buttler b Carse 8 (NZ 18-2)

    Rachin Ravindra off to a flyer with back-to-back boundaries off Brydon Carse, but edges a fuller one into the gloves of Jos Buttler.

    Carse has two wickets in his first over.

  10. wicket

    WICKET

    Robinson c Cox b Carse (NZ 10-0)

    Brydon Carse strikes with his first ball!

    In truth, it's a bit of soft dismissal for Tim Robinson as he attempts to work a full-ish ball to the leg side but ends up chipping it to Jordan Cox at mid-on.

    England have an early beakthrough.

  11. NZ 10-0

    Luke Wood beats the outside edge of Tim Robinson's bat, then the England left-arm quick draws a leading edge to give him a single to complete the over.

    Brydon Carse is limbering up.

  12. 6 runs

    NZ 9-0

    A hint of movement in the air for Luke Wood who, as usual, does not have a single hair out of place.

    Tim Robinson picks up one slightly over-pitched from the England left-arm quick and times it beautifully as he effortlessly dispatches it back over Wood's head for six.

  13. Luke Wood has the new ball in hand for England. Tim Seifert has just marked his guard.

    WinViz reckons this is going England's way. Let's see...

    WinViz gives New Zealand 14% chance of victory, England 86%CricViz

  14. I've actually played cricket in Cluj, as it happens, Mike.

    Played against the great Pavel Florin, before he was famous.

    Anyway, a quick turnaround at the Hagley Oval. England's players are already out on the field. We'll be under way shortly.

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    Keeping up with the cricket on a bus in Transylvania. No one here knows anything about cricket so no one will understand why I am looking at my phone and smiling so much. I bet it's not the reason they think!

    Mike in Brașov

  16. 'Great fun batting with Harry'

    England opener Phil Salt, speaking at the innings break: "If we bowl well I think we have enough on the board. Obviously the wicket has had the chance to dry out and had more pace in it.

    "It was brilliant fun batting with Harry [Brook] and he makes my job easier. It's easy to just give him the strike and allow him to continue the momentum of the game.

    "I'll give the bowlers bits and pieces and let them figure it out! The slower balls gripped a bit more when the lights came on which might help us in the second innings."

  17. Thanks, Mattthew.

    Impressive from England - and especially from Phil Salt and Harry Brook.

  18. That was breathless stuff. Here's Timothy Abraham to take you through the chase.

  19. How's stat?!

    That was England's second-highest total in T20 internationals against New Zealand:

    • 241-3 - Napier, November 2019
    • 236-4 - Christchurch, October 2025
    • 214-7 - Auckland, February 2013
    • 198-4 - Old Trafford, September 2023
    • 196-5 - The Oval, June 2013

  20. Interval - Eng 236-4

    Jacob Duffy nails his yorker last up but another wayward throw means England get back for two.

    England end with their fifth highest T20 score. New Zealand will need to pull off their highest chase by a distance.